Andy Roddick Says Aryna Sabalenka Doesn’t Get the Credit She Deserves for the Improvements in Her Game

Aryna Sabalenka has faced Coco Gauff ten times in her career, winning five and losing five, the Roland Garros final will be their eleventh meeting.

Andy Roddick Says Aryna Sabalenka Doesn’t Get the Credit She Deserves for the Improvements in Her Game

Aryna Sabalenka and Andy Roddick (X/The Tennis Letter/Tennis Circuit)

Aryna Sabalenka is in the French Open final for the first time in her career after beating Iga Swiatek in three sets. The Belarusian brought to an end Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak in Paris. Tennis legend Andy Roddick revealed after the win that Sabalenka deserves more credit for her strategy and approach to winning matches.

Sabalenka arrived at Roland Garros having reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open. She wasn’t the lead favorite to claim the French Open title having never gotten past the semi-finals before the 2025 edition. But with determination and consistency, she has catapulted herself into the final.

She beat Swiatek 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 in the semi-final. The third set was perhaps her best performance at the tournament. The 27-year-old showed renowned power and aggression which Swiatek had not replied to. Also, she hit the ball with so much precision and her drop shots always caught the Polish star lagging.

Nonetheless, the World No.1 has improved significantly since the start of the 2024 season. She has been to seven finals, including two Grand Slams and three WTA 1000 finals. She has also won three WTA titles this season and has dominated the women’s circuit with her excellent performances on the court.

While analyzing Sabalenka’s win against Swiatek, Andy Roddick revealed that the 27-year-old deserves more credit for her performances this season. He added via his Served Podcast that she has added several techniques to her game:

I think she is the favourite for any tournament she is in right now She is just so good. And she is finding new ways to win. She hits a little chip drop shot now. We don’t give her enough credit. It’s like we have one narrative about players, commentators that she hits it so hard. She has learnt how to hit backhand both ways, learnt how to hit chips, she knows how to hit drop shots now, she comes in a little bit more. She is so much better than she was when she was already really good three years ago.

Sabalenka has now reached her third successive Grand Slam final and is the first woman to achieve the feat since Serena Williams in 2016. Also, the World No.1 has become the player with the most appearances in women’s singles Grand Slam finals this decade. She will be hoping to claim her fourth Grand Slam at the French Open.

Aryna Sabalenka is ready to play her “best tennis” against Coco Gauff at the Roland Garros final

Aryna Sabalenka will face Coco Gauff at the Roland Garros final. They have played 10 times, and each has won five of those matches. Sabalenka won their most recent meeting at the Madrid Open in straight sets, but Gauff won their most important one, in the US Open final two years ago. Ahead of the match, Sabalenka revealed that she’s going to play her best tennis against Gauff:

Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff
Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

And I have to go out there on Saturday, and I have to fight and I have to bring my best tennis, and I have to work for that title, especially if it’s going to be Coco. Almost like [my] whole life, I’ve been told [clay] is not my thing, and then I didn’t have any confidence. And in the past I don’t know how many years, we’ve been able to develop my game so much, so I feel really comfortable on this surface and actually enjoy playing on clay.

The Roland Garros final is Sabalenka’s first in her career, while it is Gauff’s second. The latter is seeking her second Grand Slam, having claimed her first at the 2023 US Open. Also, a Gauff victory would make her the youngest American to win the Roland Garros singles title since Serena Williams in 2002.